RECIPES and baking!!! GREAT Banana Choc Chip Muffins

I've been spending a ton of time at home lately. Not sure why? Maybe it's all the stinkin' pregos around me who are nesting and it's rubbing off? Anyhow I'm enjoying the cooking/baking aspect of being home. I received a fun email yesterday which I immediately forwarded because it was a recipe exchange. I've received so many great sounding recipes already! Tonight my Step Monster and I made tacos and I had just received a recipe for "Bomb Green Salsa" courtesy of Jenny Gumbert. After a few speed bumps, I was off and running! I decided that it would be a great compliment to our dinner so off to the store I went. First problem... what the heck is a tomatillo?! To save face, I called my mom and Step Monster who had no idea what it was. I certainly couldn't call my brown friends or ask the produce guy right?! I'd be horrified. After no success and a few calls later, I broke down and called Jenny, my brown sista. She kinda laughed and told me it was a "green tomatoe in a husk" and it would be by the jalapenos. I FOUND THEM! Who the heck knew how to tell if they were ripe though? OH BOY! A kind, older lady (who was obviously deprived of conversation!) did help me and I now think that I am a tomatillo EXPERT! Got the rest of the ingredients and home I came. Long story short, I used too much water so it was more like soup than salsa but after we strained it a bit I think it was a hit! THANK YOU JENNY!

Here's the recipe...

Ingredients: 5 tomatillos, 1 jalapeno, 2 chicken buillon cubes, cilantro

Boil water and add tomatillos and jalapeno (whole) cook until tender. Make buillon (3/4 cup to 1 cup water at the most). Chop cilantro (I used a half of a bundle). Mix all ingredients together and either blend or put in a food processor. I think I could've maybe used another 1/2 jalapeno but this recipe is great!

Later, I set out to make dessert for my D-group gals. (we're getting together tomorrow night). I've been dying to try this banana chocolate chip muffin recipe so I did. They turned out great!

Ingredients:

3C Flour

1C Sugar

4tsp Baking Powder

1tsp Cinnamon

1tsp Salt

2C Milk

1C Mashed Bananas

1/2C butter (melted)

2 Eggs

6oz Chocolate Chips (I used 10oz and went with Ghiradelli)

nuts are optional but I left them out (YUCK!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Blend/Mix altogether. Spoon into muffin cups (they don't rise very much). Bake about 20 minutes until golden brown. Cool and ENJOY!

My family seemed to enjoy these very much. I tried to be cool and take pics but my photo skills are lacking. Could it also be that I'm using my cell phone? MAYBE! Can't wait to bake some more of my new recipes. Gotta find some guinea pigs to eat all this though!